We left camp at 6:30 a.m., about two hours earlier than normal, hoping to get most of the climbing done before the sun cleared the ridge. That turned out to be a good choice, as the switchbacks coming out of Granite Pass were rough. The early part of the day brought excellent views, and we stopped often for photos. This section of the trail is stunning, and it's been my favorite of the parts we have hiked so far.
We navigated one particularly sketchy washed-out section of side hill with a sheer drop-off on one side. Jason went first and convinced me that it was doable if I kept my trekking poles dug in and a hand on the uphill side. He tried to get a shot with the 360 camera. Yikes! High type-2 fun, for sure.
After that, we made the long scrabbly climb and then descent to Highway 20 at Rainy Pass.
At Rainy Pass, we reached a decision point. Because of a national park boundary, our camping options were either outside the park or six miles farther in. We chose to continue, making it an almost 18-mile day. The final three miles were hot, brushy, and pretty miserable.
We’re glad to be in camp now. We soaked our feet in the creek, ate, and are now resting in the tent while our camp neighbors—apparently a duo of soft rock/folk music aficionados are having an impromptu jam session nearby.
Hike Details ⬇️
📍PCT SOBO Mile 51.8 - 69.5
🥾17.9 Miles
📈 1480 Ascent, 4652 Decent
🕘 11 hours
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